Jessi Islami
, the company's office manager, said it was "a pretty tough day for everyone around here" and described the mood as somber.

"Dan was an honest and hardworking young man who was well-liked by all at CED," he said. "He had a bright future ahead of him and will be greatly missed by all. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his family."

"I don't really know what to say other than he was a great friend and he was a good guy," Johnson said.

Hot pursuit

The
New Milford Police Department
has a hot pursuit policy that mirrors state law: * A number of factors come into play when an officer decides to pursue a vehicle, ranging from the danger the suspect poses to the public to the road and weather conditions.

* State law requires that an officer, in order to enter into pursuit, turn on lights and sirens and immediately notify his or her dispatcher of the location, direction and speed of the pursuit, the description of the pursued vehicle, and the initial purpose of the stop.

* Pursuits are called off when an officer decides chasing the vehicle poses a greater danger to the public than the immediate apprehension of the suspect.